The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-02
CONCERNING DR.. wAT16'S HYMNS.
BY MARK HOLRofD.
(ChicagoJ J

Watts was almost the inventor OF
hymns in our language. I'VE may sup
pose it a standing fact hat the "chil-
dren of this world are User in their
generation than the children of light"
Certainly the ballad, all Down the ages
of European people, has been a power to
express human SORROWS a4well as cheer
full, gay and sportive SENTIMENTS. 1t is
but recently that short lyrics have been
brought into requisitioll as means to
excite religious fervor, and as convert
ing influences. 1t wouM appear that
Christianity started out With this power
full auxiliary in social Worship, devo-
tion and communion, arp to this may
be attributed to some exNnt the spread
of Christianity and the @hesion of it's
adherents.
The solemn last super of Christ
with his disciples, being{E Ended, "They
sang hymn and went oq$," and in two
Epistles the brethren afe exhorted to
teach and admonish one another Sin
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord.' Thatcheerfulness
and song being the genibs Of the gos-
pei, it is astonishing hoW the opposite
idea should take possession of Christ
ianity, making religion weeping Niobe,
and heaven to be earned!by the morti-
fication Of every human instinct, aud
sighs and groans, the sesame to open
the doors of heaven. Bit moments
reflection conyinces us it was not strange
that the sincere and devout should
mourn and weep. A pagan Tartarus
had been embodied in the creed, and it
was only the honest expression of be-
lief in it--a creed over which our mod
ern orthodox people can smile and laugh
and feast like ancient epicureans.
We read of the Renaissance in the
arts ushered in about the time Of the
Reformation, but the new thought
was not limited to Questions of archi-
lecture or subjects on the canvas. 1t
invaded the realm Of moral and spir-
itual thought, prompting the human
spirit to the exercise Of conscious free
dom, which is It's birth-fght, to ques-
ton that in the craadB which was re-
pulsiye to human tIiougst. Then did
the old begin to cast b a ss1sa off its aus
@erities and put on new fcsssss OF Deauty,
change the monk for the angel, the
garments of praise for the spirit of
heaviness." In nothing is seen more
distinctly work and progress in this
line, than in the service song. 1t was
happy thought then, for DR.. Watts
to give to religion his psalms and hymns,
by grating Polyhymnia- many
hymned ope-one of the muses., into the
service of Christian work. In nothing
is seen the advance of correct thought
about God, man, and his destiny, than
in hymnology. 1t was to be expected
the early hymn book would shadow forth
some of the old. But rejection and ex-
purgation for the past fifty years has
been doing thorough work, so that at
the present time it is difficult to find
copies of the old hymn-books to refer
to. Referring to DR.. Watts's psalms
and hymns, among the many truly gos.
pei ones we find interspersed here and
there the medieval thought that this
world, is miserable, sinful, treacher-
GUS one, that we are in duty bound to
treat as seductive enemy. In what
book of prayer do we now find the
following:
How vain are all things here below,
How false and yet how fair;
Each pleasure hath it's poison too,
And every sweet snare
THE brightest things below the sky,
Give but flattering light,
We should suspect some danger nigh
When we possess delight.
THE fondness of a creature love,
How strong it strikes the sensei
Ihltner the warm anectlOnS move
Nor can We call them thence"
And yet DR.. Watts was inspired to
write it, and no doubt thought he was
serving godliness as against worldliness.
l can well recolleet hearing an old
clergyman relate what was the inspir.
ing cause of its composition. Like any
true man, Watts felt it was not good to
be alone, and he became attached to
lady of the name of Rowe. She not re-
ciprocating, disappointed love found its
best solace in the effusions of that hymn.
| do not know but that the hymn served
some good purpose in its age. | re-
member one evening, when quite lad,
being ata prayer meeting, when young
man was called upon to select hymn,
and lead in prayer, and selected the
above. 1t was known that his atfec-
tions had been lacerated by non-recipro-
cation, and he felt quite badly. He,
no doubt, thought the plaintive hymn
suited his case, and that it was per-
fectly proper to carry his grief to a
throne of grace. There were many
smiles exchanged during the singing,
and not all shaded away during his
prayer, which would naturally express
the sad condition of his mind.
What clergyman now would give out
the following for his congregation to
sing.